Mugglestone Hi-Fi- FREE TIME

Okay, this one is a bit of a stretch, but I don't dare challenge what the record gods allow to cross my path.  So if you have bigger ears than balls, this one might get it right.  I think of this mix as the quietly wild and often forgotten middle daughter of a family with 3 precocious but well-intentioned girls.  (But that still might not justify 2 Kraftwerk songs on 1 mix--when you get there, you'll understand)


Track Listing::>

01. Afrika Bambaata/ James Brown- Unity Pt. 2
02. Kraftwerk- Trans Europa Express
03. Perez Prado- St. Louis Blues Mambo
04. Metric Jazz National- Odero Koduko
05. Cabaret Voltaire- Jazz The Glass
06. Gudrun Gut- Move Me
07. Jean Claude Vannier- Evelyne
08. Hugues Aufray- La Fille du Nord
09. Bob Dylan- Bye and Bye
10. Jad Fair- Cape Fear
11. Art Bears- Rats and Monkeys
12. Bobby Conn- Me Most of All
13. Combustible Edison- Short Double Latte
14. Tangerine Dream- Das Mädchen auf der Treppe
15. Tarwater- Heide Noel
16. Lata Mangeshkar- Bandhua Keno Gelo Parabase
17. Frank Zappa- Catholic Girls
18. Thai Instrumental Dance- Unknown
19. The Beatles- Flying
20. Kraftwerk- Mitternacht

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi INDEPENDENCE DAY

It's Summer, keep your eyes open for pick-pockets and confidence men!

Track Listing::>

01. Curtis Mayfield- Underground
02. Sweetwater- Crystal Spider
03. Randy Carlos- Monkey Guapacha
04. Blind Blake- Run Joe
05. Don Drummond- Chinatown
06. Sam Cooke- Little Red Rooster
07. Bill Doggett- Slow Walk
08. Donna Summer- Love to Love You Baby
09. The Nite-Liters- Afro Strut
10. Art Tatum- Get Happy
11. The Ugly Ducklings- Just in Case You Wonder
12. Monchito- Invitation to Merengue
13. The Coconuts- If I Only Had a Brain
14. Bill Wemberley- Missouri Drag
15. The Jordanaires- Roll on Jordan
16. The South Side Coalition- Get Off Your Seats and Jam (Disco Version)
17. Jose Curbelo- The Hissing Cha Cha
18. Hank Williams- Angel of Death
19. Kingsley- Hambro
20. K.C. & The Sunshine Band- Get Down Tonight

Here is the .zip

THE QUEENS OF SONO CAIRO

OUM KALSOUM

Oum Kalsoum is no doubt the Queen of Egyptian singers and changed the face of Arabic culture and politics.  I cannot begin to describe the power, elegance and beauty with which she brings to life the famous poetry of the Arabic canon.  To get an idea of her prowess and majesty here are a couple of videos::>

I finally found my first and favorite piece of hers on double 7", Beid Annak, though not in the version I recognize.  At the Comptoir Marocain de Distribution de Disques they had many of her discs, and I bought as many as I could.  Included here is::>

Beid Annak Pts. 1-4

Anta El Hob Pts. 1-4

Touf Ou Chouf Pts. 1-2

Here is the .zip

SABAH

Although from Lebanon, Sabah made her mark in Egypt as a singer and actress.  Her career has spanned 5 decades and she has been the subject of several scandals due to her many marriages and possible affairs.  Many consider her to be the Nancy Sinatra of the Arab world due to her bubbly demeanor yet tremendous melancholy, and of course the iconic blonde hair.  Included here are 2 records::>

Habibat Oummaha Pts. 1-2

Hiloua Ou Taiba Pts. 1-2

Demmou Khafif Pts. 1-2

Bini Ou Binek Thar Pts. 1-2

Here is the .zip

FAIROUZ

Fairouz, the "Jewel of Lebanon", made a splash on the international stage and in the 70's was a household name for many Arab-Americans and Europeans.  Her success was a bit stinted by the Lebanese Civil War, but at age 78 she still continues to perform.  Unfortunately, I was unable to get more than 1 record, which I have included here: "Mahrajane El Kamh"/"Saoufa Ahya".

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi MOROCCAN TOURISM GUIDE+ EXTENDED LISTENING

With a little help from fellow crate diggers and wax poets I obtained some amazing artifacts while cruising around Casablanca.  The very famous Disques Gam and Le Comptoir Marocain de Distribution de Disques provided me with some truly unforgettable tracks that speak to the diversity of Moroccan music and culture.  From the hauntingly psychedelic organ of Abdou El Omari to the Berber Rwais music (see the extended listening for more) to the almost 7 minute long twist song of Abdelwahab Doukkali and the "Moroccan Rolling Stones" Jil Jilali, this mix is a musical journey that will leave you wanting more.  So, I have made a massive "Extended Listening" section for people that want to dig a little deeper.  

Track Listing::>

01. Abdou El Omari- Fatine
02. Jil Jilala- Rifia
03. Hawa Hadaoua- Yami Yami
04. Abdelhadi Belkyat- El Kamr El Ahmar Pt. 1
05. Abdelwahab Doukkali- Twist Iway T'koussi Chaarek Twist
06. Hamid Zahir- Bara
07. Nass El Ghiwane- Mezzine M'dihek
08. Cheikh Rouicha Mohamed- Taazhat Ghouri
09. Unknown- Disques Gam 103
10. Haj M. B. Yahia Outznaght- Al Mahchar
11. Abdou El Omari- Layali Saif
12. Unknown- Izenkade
13. Unknown- Awad Aït Zaltane Pt. 2
14. Jil Jilala- Al Kouds

Here is the .zip

EXTENDED LISTENING

RWAIS MIX::>

I picked up a lot of records that from what I can determine is called Rwais music, mainly played on the Rebab (the fiddle seen above).  Here is a great article explaining the significance of this genre.  I tried to name the tracks as accurately as possible but most of the records are exclusively in Arabic.  

Track Listing::>

01. R. H. Elmahdi Ben M'Bark- Part 1

02. R. H. Elmahdi Ben M'Bark- Part 2

03. R. Haj Omar Wahrouch- Part 1

04. R. Haj Omar Wahrouch- Part 2

05. Rais Hmad Amentag- Imik Aiga Dhab Pt 1

06. Rais Hmad Amentag- Imik Aiga Dhab Pt 2

07. Rais Md Damsiri- Assif Nait Hadi

08. Rais Md Damsiri- Ikalm Dalkoursi

09. Rais Mohamed Baamrani- Roihait Azine Anmoune

10. Rais Mohamed Baamrani- Zaid Aouddi Chour

Here is he .zip

ABDELHADI BELKYAT- El Kamar El Ahmar Pts. 1-4

Abdelhadi Belkyat is a Moroccan singer and actor.  I included part 1 of this 2-record set in the Moroccan Tourism Guide, but thought all of it is amazing and worth uploading.  The lush orchestration seems very influenced by the Egyptian Sono Cairo, but his voice is unique and unforgettable.  

Here is the .zip

ABDOU EL OMARI- Nuits D'Été

I included the first record (Fatine/Layali Saif) on the Tourism Guide, but the second record is just as striking.  His psychedelic organ boogaloo sound cannot really be compared with anything I have heard before.  Both records are on Disques Gam.  A lot of people have posted a track of his hear and thar, but I thought it nice to give a neat little .zip of all 4 tracks I could find...

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi MASS MUSCLE

Colonialism is a bitch...


Track Listing::>

01. Country Joe & the Fish- Fish Cheer and I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag
02. Rumplestiltskin- Rumplestiltskin
03. Lemma G. Hiwot- Hay Loga
04. Tyrannosaurus Rex- Debora
05. Dr. Alimentado- Mary Lou
06. Chilo Martinez- A La Cumbia Cumbia
07. Hugh Masekela- Don't Go Lose it Baby (Dub)
08. Eduardo Vianello- Tremarella
09. Masai Youths- Unknown Song
10. Necati Caliskan- Hayat Denen Ruya
11. Aphrodite's Child- Funky Mary
12. Gainsbourg- Aux Armes Et Caetera
13. Alexandra Shamber Boys- Dintho
14. Drums of Sri Lanka- Ceremonial Drums
15. Saop- Version
16. The Nation of Ulysses- Sound of Young America
17. Seduction- True Love (Underground Bonus Beats)
18. Joao Gilberto- Voce E Eu
19. Asmahan- Aleik Salat Illah
20. En Vogue- My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi MY GUITAR

More songs about drinkin, killin, and of course man's best friend, his guitar.  On top of some of my most beloved classicks, I put "Springfield Guitar Social" and Phil Baugh's "Country Guitar 1 and 2", which are kind of a tribute to/medley of legendary guitar sounds and players from bygone eras.  For an in depth history of this "Country Guitar Blowout" sub-genre visit WFMU's amazing blog.  If yr wondering where all the women are at, they knew better than to stick around this deedley-deedley-doo pour me (another) party.

Track Listing::>

01. Phil Baugh- Country Guitar
02. Tennessee Ernie Ford- Mule Train
03. Tex Ritter- Rye Whiskey
04. Porter Wagoner- The Cold Hard Facts of Life
05. Ted Daffan- Born to Lose
06. Dick Curless- A Tombstone Every Mile
07. The Osborne Bros.- Hey Hey Bartender
08. Onie Wheeler- When We All Get There
09. Merle Travis- Gambler's Guitar
10. Tex Williams- Roses and Revolvers
11. T. Texas Tyler- Remember Me
12. Jenks "Tex" Carman- Indian Polka
13. Bill Wemberly/Thumbs Carllile- Springfield Guitar Social
14. Carl Smith- Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way
15. The Drifting Cowboys- Mud Hut
16. Faron Young- Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young
17. Robert Mitchum- The Ballad of Thunder Road
18. Lest Flatt & Earl Scruggs- Doin' My Time
19. Ernest Tubb- Pass the Booze
20. Phil Baugh- Country Guitar II

here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi COO DE GRAS

I don't wanna talk about it.  It was gonna be a "swimmin hole" type of mix, but all these characters kept showin up.

Track Listing::>

01. Canned Heat- On the Road Again
02. The Animals- It's My Life
03. The Kinks- Sunny Afternoon
04. The Spinners- Message from a Black Man
05. The Shangri-las- Sophisticated Boom Boom
06. Hermanas Navarro- Ron y Coca Cola
07. The Noblemen- Dragon Walk
08. Le Roy Broussard- B. O. Sparkle Blues
09. Solex- Solex All Licketysplit
10. The First Edition- Just Dropped In
11. The Moonrakers- Baby Please Don't Go
12. A Sunshine Fix- Beaconary Word
13. Bob Dylan- Baby Please Don't Go
14. Roy Acuff- Freight Train Blues
15. The Last Poets- Black Thighs
16. The Ikettes- Peaches and Cream
17. Reno and Smiley- Dill Pickles
18. Irma Serrano- El Riky Riky
19. Clarence Fountain- Peace in the Valley Pt. 2
20. Free- All Right Now

here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi ANDES MIX

Here is a nice BBC documentary on the Andes::>

http://youtu.be/huHwX9QfvB8

I especially love the part (around 24:00 minutes in) when the penguins have to cross the beach full of sleeping seals to get to their eggs on the steep cliffs above.  The lazy seals yelp and whine as the penguins cautiously step on their tails.

Track Listing::>

01. Jerry Butler- Only the Strong Survive
02. Parliament- Little Ole Country Boy
03. The Bar-Kays- Shake Your Rump To The Funk
04. Zapp- More Bounce To The Ounce Pt. 2
05. Cameo- Shake Your Pants
06. E.U.- Da Butt '89
07. New Choice- Pinky's Cold Stupid Party
08. Finesse and Synquis- Bass Game
09. N.W.A.- Gangsta Gangsta (Clean Edit)
10. Mad Cobra- Freaky Type
11. Tony Terry- She's Fly (Dub Edit)
12. Herbie Hancock- Mega-mix
13. Spoonie Gee- The Big Beat
14. Eric B. & Rakim- I Know You Got Soul
15. Big Daddy Kane- Warm It Up Kane
16. Tyrone Bronson- The Smurf
17. Shotgun- Mutha Funk
18. Poison- Let Me Lay My Funk On You
19. Wet Bull- Struttin'
20. Evolution Control Committee- Rocked By Rape

Here is the .zip

mugglestone hi-fi 2 KOOL 4 SKOOL

The sad thing here is that this is what I thought was 2 kool when I was a lost (read left alone watching Wings reruns) puppy with long hair scraggling out of a dirty quilted African skull cap extolling the virtues of Ween Zappa and Free Jazz while weeping over the death of Jerry Garcia.  Needless to say, these were desperate and confusing times.  Luckily, I had a couple hip friends and cousin to hold my hand through this petulant time lapsed reason.

Track Listing::>

01. Jon Spenser Blues Explosion- Bellbottoms
02. Otis Redding- Hard to Handle
03. Serge Gainsbourg & Jean-Claude Vannier- La Horse (Bande Originale)
04. Suicide- Cheree
05. Gloria Jones- Tainted Love
06. The Pixies- Monkey Gone to Heaven
07. Bob McFadden and Dor- The Beat Generation
08. The Continental Co-ets- Let's Live for the Present
09. Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers- Abdul & Cleopatra
10. Bo Diddley- You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover
11. Get Hustle- Who Do You Love
12. The J.B.'s- This is The J.B.'s Part 2
13. The Stooges- 1969
14. The Beatles- Don't Let Me Down
15. Marc Bolan- Teenage Dream
16. Modest Mouse- Medication
17. The Starlite Desperation- Our Product
18. T. Texas Tyler- He Done Her Wrong
19. Sonic Youth- Silver Rocket (Take 6)
20. Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians- Heaven

Here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi HUSH LITTLE BABY

Daddy's gonna buy you, bye and bye.
Come one May, a little voice was heard to say::>
I haven't had this much fun making a mix in a long time!  The bar has just opened, people are slowly shuffling in, one taste then two, and time begins to bend.  Not like a limbo or a deja vù, more a spring cleaning than a fresh point of view.  It will hit you up before it brings you down, gentle now, shh...


Track Listing::>

01. The Upsetters- Bucky Skank
02. The Shadows of Night- Shake
03. The Wailers- Roadrunner
04. Bo Diddley- Bo Diddley
05. Billy Barrix- Cool Off Baby
06. Dale Hawkins- Cross Ties
07. Charlie Feathers- Bottle to the Baby
08. Frankie Ford- Sea Cruise
09. King Tubby- King Tubby Ina Jamdung
10. Ray Stevens- Butch the Barbarian
11. The Pack- Next to Your Fire
12. Tender Slim- Teenage Hayride
13. Huey "Piano" Smith- Don't You Just Know It
14. Conway Twitty- Lonely Blue Boy
15. Chuck Berry- Broken Arrow
16. Mickey Lee Lane- Shaggy Dog
17. Augustus Pablo- Java Dub
18. The Alcons- Mambo Jambo
19. The Yardbirds- Ten Little Indians
20. The Muggletones- There She Goes (version)

here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi WHAT'S UP, DOC?

I was back home recently and raided my Novelty/Children's box. The resulting mix is def not for everyone's ears or tastebuds, but for you crazy fucked-up individuals::> here is a schizo mix of 50's thru 70's novelty classicks, children's anthems, dated mash-ups, moral sexist slapstick beatnik fitness studio madness. No wonder our parents are so fucked up!!! I have cut all of these into individual tracks for easy perusal and appropriation, though most are only short lil snippets. "Take the straight and narrow path, and if you start to slide, give a little whistle..."

Track Listing::>

01. Buchanan & Goodman- The Flying Saucer Pt. 1
02. Firesign Theater- National Toilet
03. Jiminy Cricket- Intro
04. The Wizard of Oz- Ding Dong the Witch is Dead
05. Parakeet Training Record- Happy Day
06. Bob McFadden and Dor- The Mummy
07. Mel Blanc- Snowbound Tweety
08. Bobby Hendricks- Psycho
09. Dance Instruction
10. Flipper Theme
11. Tom Edwards- What is a Teenage Girl
12. Descending LFO
13. Eddie Vespa- A Letter to My Ex-Wife
14. Firesign Theater- Shoplifters Market
15. The Sword in the Stone- Higitus Figitus
16. Hudson and Landry- The Hippie and The Redneck
17. The Sicknicks- Presidential Conference
18. Jeanna Dixon- The Gift of Prophesy Pt. 2
19. Wendy Bagwell- Here Come the Rattlesnakes
20. The Hollywood Argyles- Bug Eye
21. United Electronics Institute
22. Jazzercize- Fit Is It
23. The Harlem Globetrotters- Sweet Georgia Brown
24. The Strangers- Crab Louie
25. Rollo and Boliver- Mildred, Our Choir Director
26. Play and Talk
27. Mickey Mouse and Friends- School Days
28. Firesign Theater- Art Snob
29. Slim Gaillard- Cement Mixer Putti Putti
30. Mel Blanc- Woody Woodpecker
31. Mel Blanc- Bugs Bunny in Storyland
32. Dickie Goodman- Mr. Jaws
33. Jose Jimenez- The Astronaut
34. Dr Boscoe- Dr. Boscoe Plays Name That Tune
35. Warren Schatz and the Universal City Orchestra- Stuck On TV
36. Robert Preston- Chicken Fat
37. Cinderella- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo
38. Sallie Blair- Daddy
39. Judy Garland- Somewhere Over the Rainbow
40. Jiminy Cricket- Give a Little Whistle
41. Jorgi Jorgenson- All Pooped Out
42. The Corona Kids- Nid Nid Noddin'

here is the .zip

Mugglestone Hi-Fi MONKEY MIX

I was drinkin beer mid-afternoon with my man Alan and watching old Butthole Surfers videos when we got to talkin about famous rock n roll bass players that did weirdo electro dub side projects in the late 70's. When back at my favorite watering hole (WAX TRAX Records in Denver) I was able to pick up a few that show up on this mix. As for the rest of it, needless to say I was feeling a bit manic.

Track Listing::>

01. Dion- Runaround Sue
02. The Yardbirds- The Shapes of Things
03. Bill Wyman- Si Si, Je Suis Un Rock Star
04. Paul McCartney- Check My Machine
05. Grace Jones- Warm Leatherette
06. Five Du Tones- Divorce Court
07. Johnny Dee- Sittin' in The Balcony
08. Preston Epps- Bongola
09. Adam Ant- Ant's Rap
10. Raymilland- Side Talk
11. America- A Horse with No Name
12. Love- No. Fourteen
13. Jimmy Castor- Ham Hocks Español
14. Shirley and Company- Shame, Shame, Shame
15. Kraftwerk- The Robots
16. John Cale- Rosegarden Funeral of Sores
17. The Viscounts- Chug-a-lug
18. Donald Byrd- Black Byrd
19. Hal Pearl's Singing Canaries- La Paloma
20- Wally Fowler and His Oak Ridge Quartet- Church in the Valley

Here is the .zip

WANKERS STONERS AND FREAKS MIX

This one's not really a stretch for me as I prolly fit into all 3 categories. People have been buggin me to do an all garage/psych comp for the blog, but when I sat down to do it, I kept thinking how male and wankery these songs sound stacked up against each other so I spliced it up a bit. I tried to add some of my fav wanker/stoner/freak tracks from at least 3 generations: yr parents, yr older drop-out cousins, and you of course, but don't get too picky about the what and the why here, cuz I just wanted to have some fun. So let's get stoned and put on some vintage porn::>

01. Bubble Puppy- Hot Smoke and Sassafras
02. Thee Midnighters- Whittier Blvd.
03. The Pleasure Seekers- What a Way to Die
04. Hot Jam- Tobacco Road
05. The Marshmallow Overcoat- Groovy Little Trip
06. The Electric Prunes- I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night
07. Eric Burdon and War- Home Cookin'
08. Frijid Pink- House of the Rising Sun
09. Link Wray and the Wraymen- Rumble
10. Dead Moon- Don't Burn the Fires
11. The Seeds- Pushin Too Hard
12. The Amboy Dukes- Journey to the Center of the Mind
13. Vanilla Fudge- Shotgun
14. Rhinoceros- Apricot Brandy
15. Brownsville Station- Martian Boogie
16. Thin Lizzy- The Rocker
17. Man or Astroman?- King of the Monsters
18. Bobby Vidone and the Rhythm Rockers- Weird
19. The Swan Silvertones- Singin' in My Soul
20. Jimi Hendrix- Little Wing

Here is the .zip

Althea and Donna- UPTOWN TOP RANKING

I have noticed that many of my post involving ladies, esp ladies of color, have been deleted. I am not sure if the flagging gods have started to inflict their exacting (yet frivolous without explanation) censorship on my blog because I am offering up free mp3 downloads (of singles I purchased used and digitized that can no how supplant the original source tapes or official reissues) or because of some kind of musical misogyny. I almost hope for the latter as it could be some how mediated, but in attempt to add some balance back to the blog, I will put up some of the tracks again.

Like this cool cool classic from '77, of Althea and Donna singing over the Alton Ellis riddim "I'm Still in Love". John Peel originally brought this into chic-dom, gotta love him for that. This song is one of my clutch singles, I use it either to shift into the dance vibe or to apologize for something that didn't hit the floor running. This is the scene::> At least 1/3 of the girls will immediately hand their boyfriend their drink and then either attempt to pull him to the dance floor or make their way solo, knowing its a ladies number anyway. Its not really a booty track so there is more head swaying with arms up in the air than ass smackin. Here is a youtube of them gettin down on TV (love the glasses on Donna, or is that Althea?).

Althea and Donna- "Uptown Top Ranking"

Lee Hazlewood- NANCY AND ME

Barton Lee died a couple years back of kidney cancer but not before leaving us a legacy of darkly charming and shruggingly unabashed music that spans his production of Duane Eddy's twangy guitar and saxtrumentals to many solo masterpieces, including his final work, Cake or Death. This song is a single from 1973's "Poet, Fool, or Bum", and of course is about his time with the Pope's Daughter, Nancy Sinatra, who he wrote and produced "These Boots are Made for Walking" and "Some Velvet Morning" for and with. Like everything with Lee, this song is not as sweet as it seems, and he offers no answers.

Lee Hazlewood "Nancy and Me"

Taj Mahal- AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS

Taj Mahal, world music blues guy, sounds like it could not get any worse, but this guy is for real. His shows now may be catered to more of a botanical garden or sit down university theater crowd, but this single from 1976 shows where he's at. A re-write of the 1920's rollicking "I'm so honest, I'm drunk" 8-bar blues called "Ain't Nobody's Business if I Do" made famous by Billie via Bessie, this song seems to really speak to the spirit of '76: cocaine and champagne. It's just fun in a fuck it why not way, and not so many songs, esp 70's blues songs, can pull that off. Go see him some time, he's always touring.

Taj Mahal- "Ain't Nobody's Business"

Ian Dury and the Blockheads- HIT ME WITH YOUR RHYTHM STICK

This song has been in my head for the past couple weeks and has caused me to unexpectedly hit people and inanimate objects in both the public and private spheres a few too many times. Ian Dury and the Blockheads made a pretty big splash in the post-punk/new wave scene in '79 with this hit that to me sounds like Dr. Buzzard and Bryan Ferry doing bumps at the bar. A spastic galloping groove, an evocative catch-line, and the use of ironic phases in French and German make this song an instant dance floor success. Esp if yr audience is wearing a gang of 4 shirt but secretly rediscovering later kinks and yes records. Here is a live video.

Ian Dury and the Bockheads- "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick"

Dinosaur- KISS ME AGAIN

Arthur Russell on 45 would make any serious collector laugh (if they knew how), but when you are crack-addicted to these little records you find yourself shelling out money for things you didn't even know existed. This song was a legend in the downtown disco genre as was the mid-western buddhist cello-groove master behind it. Though relatively unknown or under-appreciated in his lifetime, more and more compilations and tribute articles about Arthur have come out in the last years and even a new documentary. When researching photos etc. for this post I came across a truly amazing description/background for this song on the Mr. Disco blog. Unfortunately, his link to the 12" mix has expired, but you can feel his enthusiasm and listen to this 45 mix; then go on ebay and pay waaaay too much for the original.

Dinosaur- "Kiss Me Again"

Bill Withers- LOVELY DAY

I have been looking for this feel good track forever, and just after lamenting to a friend that it was one of those (the "so common yet classic that no one sells them or throws them away unless they melted in the attic") I found it on my first day back at Wax Trax in Denver. Bill Withers has written some of the most classic American soul/funk anthems ("Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", and even "Just the Two of Us"), yet few people know his name--and those who do drop it every chance they can. His beautiful arrangements and honest lyrics created a legacy that has been sampled/bit countless times (blackstreet, arrested development, etc.) and even spawned some secular spirituals that everyone can wave their lighter to. The intro to this song really brings a smile to my face as does the sustained "lovely day" in the chorus. You have heard it before, hopefully many times, but listen again to the way this song unfolds, or check out this really bad "sunshine mix" from '88 that was a pretty big Euro hit (even bigger than the original). Still waiting for the documentary which should be out soon!

Bill Withers' "Lovely Day"

Vicente Fernàndez- VOLVER VOLVER

El Idolo de Mexico with his 1976 cross the border hit on CBS records, "Volver Volver." This guy IS the undisputed king of Ranchera and is still kickin it hard, playing arenas across the US (check his myspace, pretty amazing). Here is a video link where he starts the song on a juke box (I have always wanted to do that) and sits down to drink. This guy just has it, the strength and gentle grace of his voice is undeniable. The arrangement of the organ, the strings, and the horns into swooping punches with the "ay! ay!" whelping interludes make this song a drink in the air salute to "the struggle." Here are the lyrics both in spanish and english.

Vicente Fernàndez- "Volver Volver"